Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Subject "1960s"
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    Driving Furthur into the Counterculture: Ken Kesey on and off the Bus in the 1960s
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-10-27) Dickens, Lauren ; Myers-Shirk, Susan ; Beeby, James ; History
    In June 1964, a large, kaleidoscopic school bus with fourteen friends on board sailed down the highway at maximum speed while blaring music loud enough to startle people in the next town. The psychedelic ship, also known as Furthur, symbolized the free spirit attitude of the 1960s. Unfortunately, this is the image the name Ken Kesey brings to mind. The LSD-fueled, bestselling author became one of the most recognizable figures of the 1960s. Nonetheless, he was more than an outspoken advocate for psychedelic drugs. He was a performer, artist, and, more importantly, he was a devout father figure to his family. It is necessary to take each of Kesey’s roles into consideration in order to understand how he served as a crucial link between the Beat culture of the 1950s and the hippie counterculture of the 1960s.
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    Hear Her Voice: An Analysis of Selected Songs by American Female Songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s
    (University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-04-22) Renzi, Miranda
    This creative project analyzes selected songs written and recorded by prominent American female songwriters from the 1960s and 1970s. The purpose of this analysis is to underscore the cultural and musical significance of both the individual songs and the pioneering female artists who wrote and recorded them. This analysis was accomplished by re-recording selected songs from four different genres and studying the lyrics, the musical composition, the historical context in which the songs were released, and the individual artists who wrote and recorded each song. The conclusions drawn from the analysis reveal that American female songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s have had a lasting impact on popular culture, the music industry, and popular music overall.
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    Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound
    (University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2019-05-16) Quinn, Steven
    Phil Spector was one of, if not the most influential producer of the 1960s and was an instrumental part in moving music in a new direction. With his “Wall of Sound” technique, he not only changed how the start of the decade sounded but influenced and changed the style of some of the most iconic groups ever to exist, including The Beach Boys and the Beatles. My research focused on how Spector developed his technique, what he did to create his iconic sound, and the impact of his influence on the music industry. As well, I used my research to record three songs that show Spector’s style in different stages of his career with the goal of seeing if I could recreate his sound with the resources and equipment available to me.